Negima!: Sins of the Father
by N. D. Matthieus
Summary: A Devil's Due Side-story: All Setsuna ever wanted was to grow up with her family, but life never works out how one intends. This tells of the tragedy that befell the Sakurazakis and how Setsuna came to live at the Kansai Magic Association.
1. Sins of the Father  Foreword

Negima!: Sins of the Father

A Devil's Due Side Story

A Magister Negi Magi Fan-Fic

By N.D. Matthieus

The characters and situations of _Magister Negi Magi_ are the creation of and rightful property of Ken Akamatsu. They are used here without permission. This story may be freely redistributed, but it should not be altered substantially or used for profit in any way.

Summery: The origins of Mathias the _Ala Ferrum_ and Sakurazaki Setsuna run deeper, this tells of the tragedy that befell Setsuna's family and why how she eventually ended up at the Kansai Magic Association.

Rated M: For Violence, Language and Adult Situations

A Word From the Author

I have to say that Negima is perhaps one of the most entertaining Manga that I've managed to come across in a great many years, and one that is so vast and comprehensive that I actually feel compelled to write in. As I've continued to write the main series _The Devil's Due_, I've been forced to realize that there is more to the world that I'm working in than I originally estimated. Given the role that Magnus Locke—Mathias the _Ala Ferum_—plays in the lives of some of the characters of Negima, I've been forced to take a step back and actually flesh out these histories. I've tried as best as can to weave Mathias's story into that of Negima without irreversibly destroying the amazing world that exists there but obviously as Mathias grows into Mahora, I must find myself manipulating more and more of Ken Akamatsu's world as Mathias develops along the plot. Hopefully I can accomplish this without utterly destroying this world outright.

Unfortunately, the benefits of Negima is that it revolves around Negi and the girls of Class 3-A, and is a world that exists from a perspective of carefree youthfulness that is magical. Mathias's life is one that is far darker, and while he longs to bathe in the light of such carefree inhibitions, his past decisions make such a life fundamentally impossible. To make matters worse, the lives that he touches and affects soon find themselves equally distraught.

As such _Sins of the Father_ is the first of a series of side stories that I've been working on over the past year that work to tie in these back stories that I feel would somehow muddle up the overall work of _The Devil's Due_. Instead, I felt that I would be somehow appropriate to introduce the first of these stories as a standalone piece. Although, I will admit that as such, in reading these side stories before reading _The Devil's Due,_ you might find yourself confused and riddled with spoilers, but I've attempted to minimize them enough without sacrificing the integrity of the either story.

Finally, the true purpose of this foreword is to convey a sense of understanding that unlike _The Devil's Due_, this is a story that may detract from many readers because of its tragic nature. This is not a happy story, I feel that it is a powerful story, and is important in understanding what drives Mathias and the relationship he wishes to have with Setsuna.

Well, that's about all I'm about to say, you've been warned and I hope that you enjoy the story. I look forward to feedback regarding what you think of this story and whether or not you think more of these side-stories might actually be worthwhile in the future.

Again thanks for reading, and on with the show:


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter One

The conference hall sat in hushed silence as its members digested the news reported to them. For the third straight year, their crops continued to decline. It had been a steady, but dramatic shift over the last few years. Unfortunately, this year's harvest proved far more telling than ever before.

"We don't have enough rice to survive the winter." One of the grain managers reported.

The Elders of the Crow Tribe of Southern Kyoto looked to each other in hushed voices. This was beyond imagine, in the last hundred years they had never had to face a crisis of this magnitude before.

"Are you certain of these numbers?" asked one of the lesser elders to the chief grain manager.

The Crowman, with an amber crest above his brow, bowed deeply and nodded solemnly, "I'm afraid we've calculated the harvest seven times Elder, and unfortunately we come to the same conclusion. Even with maximum rationing, we will not be able to sustain the entire tribe through the coming winter."

More hushed murmurs followed as the elders voiced their concerns with their peers. All the signs were pointing to a drastically bitter winter ahead, how were they going to survive? If they had to ration not only the rice but also the Tribe, who was to be sacrificed and who spared? Questions of negotiating with some of the other tribes in the region cropped up, but the Southern Kyoto Tribe was still on very shaky foundation with many of the other tribes, and they had little to offer in terms of trade, at least on the scale to provide the necessary quantities of grain to survive.

One elder voiced an opinion of attempting to trade with the humans. That was scoffed immediately by a majority of the others. They were the People of the Crow, not some lowly beastmen who dirtied their pride as to trade with the humans.

Still, as the realities began to set into the council, they knew that their options were significantly limited. What hope could there be?

It was then that Mishima Naoyuki, the tribe's shaman and spiritual leader, came forth. Being of advanced years, his feathers had long since tinted from the dark mane of black that he once bolstered in his youth to an ashen gray. His wings were poached and frail, but his blazing blue eyes revealed to all who encountered him the sharp mind that still resided in his otherwise decrepit features.

"I have seen this before." He spoke, bringing the entire council to silence as they looked to the shaman with intense focus. "This is not the first time that we have had to face this hardship." He spoke, his voice grave and unforgiving. "Many tens of years ago, your predecessors faced such a crisis. We survived it, barely, but survived nonetheless. For your forefathers, this was a crisis unlike any other we had ever experienced, it was daunting and troublesome. The hardship that we endured was immense but we survived."

The shaman slowly approached the center of the council hall, where he could see every elder perched on the raised tiers. "We survived then, we will survive now. And we will do so of our own accord. We need not ask for assistance from the other heretic tribes, nor sully our honor by involving ourselves with the humans. We will survive because we are the Chosen People, and as such we will continue forth. The times that await us are going to treacherous and vile. Difficult decisions will have to be made. The weak will fall and even I feel that perhaps I will not survive this winter."

The shaman's eyes blazed with intensity, "But if that is the case, then so be it. I have led a full life, I have born witness not only to your births, and your children's births, but also your fathers and their fathers before them."

Mishima paused his gaze sweeping across the elders. "I speak of the times to come and I have no doubt whatsoever that we will survive this like we have had in the past. But, unlike the past, we will rectify our mistakes this time. What has befallen our people is a curse, but it is a curse that we have faced before and as such know how to fix."

The elders burst into murmurs once again, and the shaman allowed them to speak amongst themselves for several long moments before ushering himself back into the center of attention. "This curse is that of the White Wings." Suddenly the Elders and everyone else present for that matter went silent. "It is foretold in our history that there exists those within our People who will be born with white wings, white fur and crimson eyes. These are the signs of the bloodline of the demon king. The demon king, who is embodiment of evil who threw the Kingdom into turmoil and banished our people to share this world with the humans has spread his seed amongst our people so as to continually torment our good and noble people." He paused. "I have looked not only through my past experiences, but that of our storytellers and they all speak of times of great hardship placed upon our People when those born with white wings lives amongst us."

Mishima let that information sink in. "As you all know, Sakurazaki Sasonosuke and his _human_ wife gave birth to a half-breed child three years ago." He clicked his beak in the Crowman equivalent of a smirk. "This child's birth coincided with the first poor harvest and interesting enough this half-breed just so happens to be a child born of white wings."

The implications were obvious, but the consequences were far more troubling. Sakurazaki Sasonosuke was a hero among the People. He had fought in the Great War against the humans just eight years prior, bringing the People great pride and glory in his exploits.

Of course, there had been the little issue of his affair and subsequent marriage to a human woman. While the Shaman and his supporters had been amongst the most vehement of the People to press for exile, the Elders had allowed the transgression to go unpunished due to the following that Sasonosuke commanded. Now though, there were Elders who were beginning to believe they were reaping what they had sown in their negligence to deal with the Sakuarazaki issue.

"Must we exile the Sakurazaki child?" One elder asked.

Mishima shook his head tragically, "I wish we could be so fortunate, for that is what we did in the last famine." He stated, "For three long years after the banishment of the last white winged child we suffered more and more. It wasn't until one of our greatest forefathers, Ishida Kudo, acted on behalf of the People and slayed the accursed child that the Gods were appeased and we were once again blessed with bountiful harvests."

The Elders looked to one another aghast. To slay a child? It was unthinkable.

"I do not address this issue lightly." Mishima stated, "And as our guiding Elders, neither should you. Realize this though, we can exile the child, let her live on in foreign lands, but the People will remain to suffer. And we will continue to do so as long as that child breathes."

"There has to be another way?" one of the Elders balked.

"I am not saying that there isn't," Mishida explained, "I am merely telling you what it is that I witnessed with my very eyes. The children that died during that famine was terrible, taking with them great uncles and aunts of whom you were never allowed to meet, all because we didn't realize our folly until it was too late, until we had let hundreds of our own People perish so one child could remain alive."

"Shaman, you must understand, our very laws prohibit this sort of action." Another Elder acknowledged.

"Our laws were not meant to prepare us for this sort of circumstance." Mishida rebuked. "This is not a time when we must rely upon our laws to divine the path for us. This is the time where our lawmakers guide us through these treacherous times!" His frail wings flared for emphasis, "Thus I ask you, Elders of the People, you must make this decision. Do we spare the life of one cursed soul to sacrifice the People, or do we finally rid ourselves of this wretched bloodline and finally cleanse ourselves of the curse of the Demon King who has defiled our people for too long!"

The council deliberated for nearly six hours before they summoned Mishima Naoyuki back to speak before them.

The Chief Elder, still a younger in comparison to Mishima, bowed his head deeply as the Shaman stood in the center dais looking up to the council. "We have discussed in great detail the matter concerning the Sakurazakis." The Chief Elder paused, looking to his peer, his expression remorseful, "And we have reached a consensus." Now the Elder rose to his full stature, impressive for a Crowman entering into sixties. "And we believe that extinguishing the life of one family to save hundreds is worth the sacrifice should it place us back into the graces of the gods."

Mishima bowed deeply in return, "If history has proven anything, then this is the right course of action, Elder." Then Mishima looked up to the Elders, "And while you have deliberated long and hard over this most egregious of issues, so have I." He paused momentarily, "I wish to ask that the Council permit me to be the one who must sully their hands in the deaths of these innocents."

This sparked momentary whispers from the Council, Mishima followed up his request in a casual manner. "As I have said before, my time is drawing near, and this winter will indeed be difficult for all of us. I would believe that dirtying my hands and having the burden of these lives upon my soul. I will face my judgment accordingly for these actions, knowing that I did so in the service of the People."

The hushed voices returned, and the Elders spoke once again amongst themselves. Finally, after nearly four long minutes, the Chief Elder looked back upon Mishima, his expression severe, and sympathetic. "Shaman, your service to the People is unquestioned, and for accepting such a terrible burden, we are once again indebted to your service. How is it we may best serve you in your task?"

Mishima bowed deeply once again, "The Sakurazakis are currently enjoying a vacation at the hot springs in the mountains to the north. We need to take both the child Setsuna, as well as her father Sasonosuke and bring them to the Mausoleum where the ancient Ritual of Cleansing must be performed."

"And what of the wife and mother, Tomoe?" asked another Elder.

"She is a human." Mishima breathed, "She merely bred the child, she has no bearings amongst the gods, she may be spared."

"Very well." The Chief Elder stated, "What is it you need of us?"

"Sasonosuke is a skilled warrior. And he keeps in his confidence a contingent of protectors who accompany him as well. Capturing him and his daughter will not be a task that must be undertaken lightly. For the Ritual of Cleansing to be successful in banishing out the Demon King's curse, it must take place at the Mausoleum and both Sasonosuke and his daughter must be apprehended alive." He sighed, "I believe for this action to be successful we must enlist the efforts of all warriors loyal to the Council and the People."

The Elders looked amongst themselves, the weight of their decision beginning to press upon them. Despite what some of them might believe, this would not be the simplest of tasks, it would be one that would be drenched in blood, not only that of the Sakurazakis but the People as well.

Still, they were committed, the Chief Elder nodded after a momentary pause. "You will have all the warriors you desire Shaman."

"Thank you, Elders." Mishima bowed deeply.


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

"Now this is a vacation!" Sakurazaki Sasonosuke said as he stretched his arms as he lavished in the hot springs, smiling as he looked to his beautiful wife and mother of his daughter, Sakurazaki Tomoe.

"It certainly is." Tomoe said more reserved. "I can't imagine the last time we were able to simply take time off and relax as a family."

"It's been too long." Sasonosuke said as he scooted through the water towards his wife, a mischievous grin on his face.

"Honey, please." She said in a faux stern voice as he enveloped her in a gentle embrace. "I swear, I think some of your grandfather's lecherous behavior is beginning to rub off on you."

"_Lecherous_?" Sasonosuke said in a hurt voice, "_Me_, the Great Sakurazaki Sasonosuke a letch, never."

"_Right…_" She said humerously, "Well, if you didn't inherit any of your grandfather's lecherous tendencies you certainly inherited his egotism, that's for certain."

"But you love my egotism." Sasonosuke countered as he nuzzled her bare neck.

"Well, I didn't say anything about complaining about it, now did I?" She giggled.

Sasonosuke paused momentarily, "And I don't think my grandfather is _all _that much of a letch."

"Oh he is, and so are all of his friends that he hangs out with." Tomoe countered.

"You know, you're precious Eishun-sama fall under that category of 'lecherous friend' you know that?" he purred.

"Eishun-sama?" Tomoe paused momentarily, thinking that statement over before shrugging nonchalantly, "Eishun-sama is of the highest integrity, he merely strives to abolish his friends' letcherous tendencies through example."

Sasonosuke laughed heartedly, "Yeah, I would love to see Eishun-dono actually change my grandfather."

"Stranger things have happened."

"Yeah, and Ojii-san is as stubborn as a mule." Sasonosuke remarked, "But enough talk about him, I think there are more pressing matters at hand…" he whispered into her ear as his fingers traced down the length her spine, causing Tomoe to chuckle.

"You're right," Tomoe remarked, looking into her husband's eyes, "There's Setsuna."

"Setsuna?" Sasonosuke remarked momentarily confused.

"Yes, honey," Tomoe pointed, forcing Sasonosuke gaze to follow. Sure as can be, there came their daughter splashing through the shallow side of the hot springs, a stern look on her face and relatively straight stick in her hand that she had managed to procure from somewhere around the spring.

"Hey Mommy, Daddy!" She came in the most serious voice that a three year old could muster. She pointed the stick over a duck that had been bathing on the far side of the hot spring, "I challenge duck-san to a duel!" she professed attempting to move in on the duck.

The duck looked at the approaching child incredulously, _quacked_ loudly at the child then began to rush away from the girl, its wings fluttering as the girl gave chase.

"Setchan, leave the duck alone." Tomoe scolded attempting to break free of the embrace, but Sasonosuke held firm, she looked over to her husband, who merely shook his head humorously then nodded back to where Setsuna was "dueling" with the duck.

No sooner had Tomoe looked back that she realized that the tables had quickly turned on poor Setsuna. The duck had somehow held its ground, managed to wrestled the stick out of Setsuna's hand and was now proceeding to chase her with it. All the while the girl was laughing hysterically.

With a head of platinum white hair, crimson eyes, and beautiful white wings, she was the most precious thing, Sasonosuke thought. Even to this day, he never imagined that he could ever create something so amazing as the daughter before him. She might have Sasonosuke's eyes, but he was grateful that he had inherited his wife's looks. Then of course there was her hair, and her wings. Seen as a stigma to the People, those features were merely indicators that Setsuna was a descendant of his grandfather.

A part of him felt that she would probably face some hardships in her future for her unfortunate genetics, but it was only a small part. He had served with his grandfather during the Great War a decade earlier, seen the man who the People vilified, and knew who he truly was, not like those close-minded fools who thought that Mathias the _Ala Ferrum_ was the greatest evil to walk the earth.

Mathias was a caring man, if somewhat of a letch by Tomoe's standards, but in his defense, Sasonosuke knew that he acted more to get a rise out of his wife than anything else, deep down he cared deeply for her, accepting his wife into his extended family as he had all of his grandchildren.

Then there was Setsuna, of whom Mathias absolutely doted upon. Much to his grandfather's own humor, his doting tended to provoke the ire of his wife, especially in regards to the myriad of exotic candies that he often brought with him on his visits to see them.

"I think she's made a new friend." Sasonosuke said with a muffled laugh as the duck managed to corner Setsuna. Realizing that she had lost the duel she conceded her defeat with a bow of her head. No sooner had she done that did the duck relinquish the stick back to her then proceeded to rush away in the same manner. Setsuna quickly picked up on the game and gave chase once more.

"I swear. You demons have such a strange sense of humor." Tomoe sighed exasperated, but grateful that Setsuna wasn't in any danger.

"Ah, that duck won't hurt her, he's a long time visitor to this hot spring, and he loves children." Sasonosuke reassured, "Now where were we…"

"Honey, I think we can wait until we're done here."

"But that would be no fun." He chuckled back at her.

"Letch," She whispered as she leaned over and kissed him.

A howling scream suddenly broke their moment, instantly both Sasonosuke and Tomoe were already moving. On Sasonosuke's part it was his life experiences from the Great War that sent him into auto pilot, leaping from of the spring and onto solid ground, placing himself between the noise and Tomoe. For Tomoe's part, her years as a renowned _Shinmei-ryu_ swordswoman had her exploding from their tender embrace and moving towards Setsuna who had suddenly stopped, transfixed on the noise.

As Sasonosuke was slowly moving towards the changing room, he pressed his senses seeking out some sort of clues as to what had just happened. He looked back to see Tomoe approaching him, Setsuna clutched in her arms.

He was given just the briefest of moments to sense the threat before it was flying through the air.

Instinctively, Sasonosuke spun on his heel, throwing his wife and daughter out of harm's way as he erected a magical barrier above him. To no avail the lances that came plummeting down bypassing the magical barrier without hindrance.

The Crow demon gritted his teeth as he felt his thigh explode in fiery pain.

"Sasonosuke!" Tomoe yelled her eyes widened as she saw the lance lodged in her husband's leg.

"I'm fine!" He snapped back, looking back to the heavens where, as he squinted his eyes in the dusk light, he could make out the silhouettes of numerous beings hundreds of meters above.

The doors to the changing room erupted and Makoto and Tetshiro, two of Sasonosuke's most trusted bodyguards rushed forth, lance and shields held in their possession. They saw their lord's condition and quickly rushed to his aid.

"What's going on?" Sasonosuke demanded as each of his bodyguards covered him and his family with their shields as they were escorted/dragged under cover. It seemed no sooner had they reached cover that the torrent of arrows and lances came raining down upon the hot spring.

"Katsushiro's dead." Makoto announced, "There were three assassins attempting to enter, when Katsushiro attempted to speak with them, they drew lances upon him. We stopped them, but there are more coming."

While Makoto spoke, Tetshiro removed the lance, forcing Sasonosuke to cringe in pain as the weapon was dislodged. Almost immediately thereafter his bodyguard removed a small pouch and poured a salve into the wound. "That'll heal it temporarily, but we'll need to get you to a healer. Your femur's probably broken." He admitted.

"I'll be fi—" Sasonosuke was cut off as he saw the doors leading to the hot springs open and there stood several men clad in the unmistakable armor of the People, their lances held at the ready as they slowly approached.

Sasonosuke hadn't survived as many battles has he had by debating circumstances. Thoughts of confusion as to why the People would be attacking him never reached his forebrain. He acted immediately, relinquishing Tetshiro's lance that lay beside the bodyguard and with the speed and precision acquired through years of training and battles sent it flying into the lead assassin's chest.

The leather armor almost held, but the force of the lance was just too strong to withstand the assault that had just been placed upon it. The Crowman cried out as pain exploded in his chest just scant meters from Sasonosuke and his entourage. The lance that the Crowman had carried clattered to the ground as his hands clawed at the weapon now embedded in him.

Tetshiro was already moving, retrieving his enemy's fallen weapon and with the brutal efficiency of a seasoned professional he slammed the lance's tip upward through the Crowman's jaw, killing him instantly.

As the first assassin fell, Tetshiro gripped both lances and tore them free of the corpse, quickly handing one of the bloodied weapons to Sasonosuke who was back on his feet, though favoring his right leg as the other assassins advanced.

"Tomoe, get Setsuna out of here!" He spoke as his mind raced.

Tomoe's gaze hardened, her thoughts running rampant, but she nodded as she quickly made up her mind. Keeping Setsuna held close, she rushed down the adjacent corridor towards their guest rooms, where her _nodachi_ was.

Sasonosuke gritted his teeth, his mind focused on the task at hand. His magic wouldn't be effective in this fight he realized angrily. The lances and the shields that the Crowmen wielded were forged out of an alloy that possessed magic nullifying properties. The armor, while made of lighter leather had magic-canceling sutras engraved into it. This unfortunately was going to be an old fashioned fight of brute strength, tactics and sheer luck.

"They're coming in from the front door!" Came the calm voice of Hiroshi, the commander of his protectorate. "Satoshi, Aida! Protect Tomoe-sama!"

Sasonosuke's mind was taking every snippet of information that he was hearing as the hot springs resort suddenly became a battlefield. He had himself, Tomoe, and eight—minus Katsuhiro—other bodyguards who had accompanied them to the mountains against what appeared to be an endless stream of assassins.

He, along with Tetshiro and Makoto, lunged forward driving their lances into the approaching assassins. Tetshiro and Makoto interposed their shields to deflect the assassins' own weapons as they drove their weapons home, forcing more screams of pain as the assassins were either killed outright or stumbled backwards into their comrades.

_We've got to funnel them_. Sasonosuke thought, slowly backing up out of the changing room. _If we can do that, we can take them either one at a time or in pairs, and we can stop them._

His bodyguards instinctively seemed to sense what he was thinking and began to backup with them, giving the Crowmen assassins the room to press forward, still whenever the assassins got too cocksure of themselves, the three would lung forward driving their lancing back into them. It was a slow intricate process, but it was effective in taming the mob that seemed to want to rush them.

In the corridor, Sasonosuke was surprised to see feel himself moving backwards almost directly into Hiroshi.

"We've been out flanked." Hiroshi admitted as he realized that his lord was now present.

Sasonosuke and his group lunged forward once again this time though the Crowmen were ready for it and they were only successful in sticking one of the assassins, while the others scattered backwards. "Where's Tomoe!" Sasonosuke demanded.

"We're cut off." Hiroshi replied in that calm voice that the man possessed when under the stress of combat, it was a quality that had brought the veteran Crowman into Sasonosuke's service, to date he had never seen the older man crack under pressure and he doubted that this would be any different. "I sent Satoshi and Aida to protect her, but I think they were intercepted before they could reach her room."

An icy lump formed in the depths of Sasonosuke's stomach as he looked down the corridor towards their room, now filled with a mob of lance-wielding Crowmen.

"Start pressing towards her room!" Sasonosuke ordered as the small contingent of defenders took up a pseudo-phalanx formation, attempting as best they could to provide the necessary cover with their shields against the Crowmen's own lances. They pressed forward, but the congestion would work against them.

The effect was nullified though when suddenly Sasonosuke heard the unmistakable utterance of a curse.

"_Igneus Spiritus ex Dis!_"

"Get down!" Sasonosuke uttered just as the fireball consumed the hallway. Assassin and defender alike were awash in the torrential inferno; it was only the last minute barrier that Sasonosuke erected that actually stopped them all from instantly being killed.

Still the disorientation that the attack had its intended effect and Sasonosuke saw as Tetshiro shrieked in agony as a lance bypassed his shield and slammed into his neck. His body went rigid for a moment before the damage finally took its toll and he collapsed lifeless. Makoto was quick to respond, slashing the assassin across the face and forcing him back, but the damage had already been done, leaving him to pick up the slack of his fallen comrade.

"_Igneus Spiritus…_"

"Here it comes again!" He shouted, this time erecting another barrier just as the attack filled the corridor. This was daunting, he realized. They were no longer making headway, and down both ends of the corridor all he could see were mobs of Crowmen. They had been routed.

He didn't know what was going on, none of it made any sense, here and there he could make out individual Crowmen, recognizing them as his kinsmen, yet their expressions were dour and intent upon one thing and one thing only and that was driving their lances into him and his protectors.

"Hiroshi, who's your fastest man?" Sasonosuke asked as he erected another barrier as the shaman amongst the assassins activated another fireball attack.

"Hajime." Hiroshi said instantly as he tapped the warrior next to him.

Yamanami Hajime looked over to Sasonosuke quickly while maintaining his guard, "Yes, sir."

"Hajime, I need you to travel to Kansai Magic Association," Sasonosuke ordered, if there was any surprise amongst his protectorate they didn't reveal it.

"Yes sir." Hajime said calmly, as he lunged forward, with Hiroshi and Souji, to spear yet another troupe of assassins that were attempting to press them.

"You need to find Mathias, and tell him what's happening; he'll be able to help."

"Yes, sir." Hajime said as he felt enemy lances slam into his shield as the enemy countered their thrust.

"Okay, I'm going to blow out the ceiling, make your escape, and hurry."

"_Int mheush vheti_" Hajime said in the traditional oath amongst the demon language that roughly translated to "on my life."

"_Flans Saltatio Pulverea_!" Sasonosuke summoned as he aimed at the ceiling. Instantly a howling, condensed tornado exploded through the ceiling sending debris flying in all directions.

No sooner had the debris fallen that Hajime leapt upward, gripping broken truss frames and propelling him upward until he cleared the roof where he spread his wings and exploded to the west in the direction of the Kansai Magic Association.

"Please hurry." Sasonosuke whispered as he felt dread pouring into his mind as the next wave of assassins pressed down upon them.


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Night was slowly descending upon the city of Kyoto, artificial light bathing much of the urban metropolis. On its outskirts though resided an ancient temple nestled amongst the native forest. As night came, only antiquated kerosene lamps lit the grounds as Nagi Springfield and his companion exited the Kyoto Magic Associations Administrative building and slowly made their way back towards his apartment.

"I thought the Japanese were really picky about punctuality." His companion remarked as they were out of earshot of their hosts.

Nagi, tall and lean, with a mop of crimson hair and the mischievous features that came only with youth looked at his companion who was a stark contrast to himself. Slightly shorter, with a far more muscular build, the man's long platinum white hair, crimson eyes and sagely appearance couldn't have been more different from Nagi's.

"Hey, accidents happen." Nagi remarked as he fished into his pocket and removed a small package of cherry-flavored candies he had picked up on their trip to visit the Kansai Association, and more specifically its Head Elder, Konoe Eishun. "Eishun'll be here by morning."

The other man grumbled a complaint, which forced a muffled chuckle out of Nagi. "I would have thought considering your advanced years you would have developed some patience?"

The man, originally born Maksym Leonitniev almost a millennia prior, but more infamously known as Mathis the _Ala Ferrum_ looked over to his companion incredulously. "You know it's really bad when _you're_ chastising me about patience." He remarked with a bitter sigh. "I had hoped to be on my way tonight."

"Ah, there's always tomorrow, one more night in Kyoto won't kill you." Nagi retorted, "Really though, you should think about just staying."

Mathias snorted, "Yeah, somehow I think that the Kansai Association would disagree with you."

"Come now, Eishun and you really have more in common than you think." _You're both sticks in the mud,_ Nagi didn't add out loud.

The other man shrugged, "Eishun-dono isn't the problem." Mathias stated, "It's the _Shinmei-ryu_ that I'm more concerned about."

"They don't mind you." Nagi said quickly.

"Yeah?" Mathias commented, "Then how do you explain that caricature that they had on their archery range the other day."

"Oh come on, that could have been any demon with white hair, white wings and…" He trailed off as he couldn't resist laughing at the expression on Mathias's face.

The older man just shook his head dubiously. "I swear Nagi…" he uttered exasperated. "I just think that a demon living in a city that is the headquarters for a society of demon slayers isn't exactly the best lifestyle for me, that's all."

"Ah, I think you're being stupid." Nagi said bluntly after he had regained his composure, "But that's just me."

"Yeah, I know."

"You could always visit your grandson and his family in the mountains." He remarked.

"I was thinking about doing that." Mathias said as he reached into the inside pocket of his suit jacket and fished out the small picture that Sasonosuke had given him from his last visit. "Its amazing how quickly they grow." He replied as he handed it over for Nagi to inspect.

"Speaking of families," Mathias said as Nagi looked over the photo, "When are you and Arika going to finally settle down?"

A dark aura seemed to emanate from Nagi in that moment, forcing the other man to laugh loudly.

"That's not funny." He returned the photo.

"Oh, it's hysterical." Mathias said as he carefully placed the photo back in his pocket. "I remember so many of my grandchildren when they found out that they were going to be fathers or mothers, always wondering if they'll be good parents."

"I'd be a great parent!" Nagi stated instantly. "I just don't know if I'm ready for a kid yet, I mean I've seen how Eishun has changed with Konoka."

"A change for the better if I have to say." Mathias replied. It was hardly a secret that the Eishen and Mathias continued to snipe at each other even after all of these years since the end of the Great War. On almost any topic the two would take opposite sides. All except in one respect: children. The moment Eishun's daughter Konoka had been born, Mathias had been the first to congratulate the new father, something that had surprised the other man greatly.

Mathias had many faults, but it seemed that one thing that he held above all else was family and what it did for a man.

"Arika and I are still thinking about it." Nagi said to stifle the subject.

"Well, all I have to say is don't think to long and hard about it, children are wonderful things to experience in life. True, they're a handful, but the joy you get from seeing them grow up is…well almost magical, I guess."

Nagi was surprised to hear the other man speak like this. Mathias was a demon drenched in so much blood and horror that to hear him speak of something like children was almost surreal.

"How many kids have you had, Mathias?" He found himself asking.

Mathias expression was thoughtful for a moment, then he smiled, "Iryna and I had four," He smiled serenely in the memory of his first wife, "about a century later I married Anastasia and we had two children." He chuckled after a moment, "Then there was Noel, my last wife and we had six children." He sighed happily, "I remember every one of them."

He sighed heavily, a mixture of emotions between remorse and happiness flooding into his expression. "Still, it was my first child, a girl, we named her Natalia. Let me tell you, you think you were unprepared. Back when Natalia came into the world, I was just twenty years old, and trust me the world was a much different place."

"Please don't tell me you're going to start going off on how much better the world is now and how you have to travel three miles to school barefoot in the snow…" Nagi replied.

Mathias bared a toothy grin, "I swear, you youngsters." He grumbled but still managed to let a chuckle slip from her stern expression. "Actually though, Natalia was the greatest thing that ever happened to me. She was so beautiful." He shook his head, "She married a nice gentleman, and they lived a happy life."

That was one thing that Nagi hadn't realized as he looked over to his friend, for much of Mathias's life he had been condemned to eternal life, never allowed to die unless his creator so chose. To have so many children come and pass had to be heart wrenching. "I guess I never thought of how it must be to have outlived all of children."

"When I was human," Mathias said somberly, "I believed that a father should never outlive his children," he sighed, "But when I made my pact, and became what I am now, I soon had to change my outlook on life. It was hard to see my children pass, but with the bad came the good. I saw my children grow, create families and have children of their own, and those children had children of their own." He smiled, "For that, I cannot feel any sadness."

"So, Sasonosuke and his family?"

"They're the proudest thing that I could ever imagine." Mathias said, "and I have to say, I certainly enjoy Sasonosuke's choice in women. I always enjoy someone whom I can rile up as much as Tomoe." He finished with a toothy grin.

Nagi was about to retort when suddenly he felt a sensation wash over him, his eyes widened as he looked towards the east. Mathias was also looking there as well. Instinctively they began moving in that direction.

"Was that…" Nagi began.

"A demon penetrated the Kansai barrier." Mathias finished as they broke into a dead sprint.

All around the Association grounds alarms began sounding and soon the near vacant streets were filled with Kansai magi and _shinmei-ryu_ swordsmen, many of whom were casting anxious glances towards Nagi, and more specifically Mathias.

They reached the clearing between the main buildings and the ancient wall that separated the compound from the forests, allowing them for the first time to look up to the heavens unimpeded. Still, with the looming night it made discerning where the demon was until he was nearly fifteen meters away from Nagi and Mathias.

The demon crashed heavily into the ground kicking up a cloud of loose earth. As Nagi and Mathias moved to investigate a contingent of _Shinmei-ryu_ warriors were already intercepting.

Mathias gritted his teeth in anger as he saw two of the warriors break from their pack and intercept Mathias, their _naginatas_ aimed at him as they brought him to a stop.

"Hey!" Mathias snapped angrily as he stared down at the two warriors, kids really. Still, despite their youth, their stern expressions in their eyes drove home the fact that they were deadly serious in their duties. A demon had just penetrated the magical barrier surrounding the association and the local demon had to be kept in check to make certain that he wasn't involved.

At least that was what Mathias thought, although he wasn't all that happy about it. Nagi on the other hand was allowed to move forward. He paused momentarily to look at Mathias, but the older man simply nodded to Nagi to check out what was going on.

The warriors surrounded the fallen demon, a combination of their _naginata_ and _nodachi_ trained on the demon but otherwise they merely worked at assessing the situation than act hastily. They acknowledged Nagi's presence with bows of their head, but otherwise did not hamper him as he approached the collapsed demon.

"Nagi-sama." A _Shinmei_ guard captain attempted to warn, but Nagi ignored him as he knelt next to the demon.

It was a Crow Demon, but he was badly injured, Nagi quickly surmised as he looked at the extent of his injuries. It looked like he had just come out of a terrible battle, even now a number of arrows protruded from various parts of his body, and he could see numerous gashes from what looked like edged weapons slashed throughout his body.

"Mathias-sama…" The crow demon breathed heavily. "I…need to…speak with…Mathias…sama." His Japanese was heavily accented and the words were coarse and blistered in pain, but as the demon looked up and stared into Nagi's eyes, the urgency in them was overpowering.

Nagi spun from where he knelt over to the warriors watching over Mathias. "Mathias, you have to come here!"

Mathias attempted to step forward, but the two warriors held their guard, pressing the tips of their lances dangerously close to Mathias's neck. He looked over to the guard captain. "Captain, please." He requested.

The captain looked at the demon indignantly.

"Captain," Nagi pressured, "This demon is in bad shape, and he's here to speak with Mathias-san. Please." He pressed.

The tense outline of the captain's jaw revealed his consternation, but after a long moment he relented. The two warriors finally relented and Mathias rushed to Nagi's side.

Up close Mathias recognized the Crow Demon immediately. "Hajime-kun!" He balked in surprise at seeing one of his grandson's bodyguards in this shape, "What the hell happened?" he demanded instantly speaking in the Tongue of the Ancients, the demon's language.

"We were attacked at the hot springs to the east of here." He breathed heavily as he attempted to right him.

Mathias was sickened to see the pool of blood that had appeared under the demon's body, "Don't move, you seriously injured." His thoughts were racing, what had happened to Hajime? Why would he be here? More importantly, if he was in this shape, how were Sasonosuke and his family?

"It's fine." He wheezed, "Sasonosuke-sama…told me…to find you…said you'd be…here." He words were becoming strained, "We were…attacked by…the People…you have to…save them." The words came out with the last ounces of strength that the demon possessed.

The gears in Mathias's mind instantly went into overdrive, his heart raced as adrenaline was released into his system and he felt a sense of cold fear wash over him.

Upon finishing his last sentence, the demon's eyes rolled into the back of his head and he slumped forward. Mathias gripped him as he fell, quickly checking for a pulse. He gritted his teeth as he found none.

"What did he say?" Nagi pressed.

"Sasonosuke and his family are being attacked at the hot springs that they visit." Mathias said instantly, his mind racing, he looked in to the direction that Hajime had come from. "Its about thirty kilometers from here."

"I can teleport us there." Nagi offered, "but I have to know where it's at."

"If I can picture it, can you get us there?" Mathias said quickly, his decision made.

"Yes." Nagi said as he placed his palm on Mathias's forehead. There was a momentary pause before he nodded, "All right, got it." He said as he fished into his jacket pocket and removed his small spell book. "This will take a moment."

"That's all right." Mathias said as he stood and looked at the assembled _shinmei-ryu_ warriors. He quickly approached the nearest one carrying a _naginata_.

"I need to borrow your weapon." He stated.

The warrior merely sneered at him.

Mathias smiled kindly, and then gripped the shaft of the _naginata_ firmly, drawing it—and its wielder—close enough to him that Mathias could slam a punch directly into the kid's solar plexus. The warrior yielded the weapon as his eyes widened and the wind was knocked from his lungs.

Almost immediately the other warriors readied their weapons, but Mathias ignored them as he rushed back to Nagi.

"Ready?" He asked.

He nodded as he finished his incantation, "You certainly have a way with people, don't you?" Nagi said.

"I told you they didn't like me." Mathias commented as they were enveloped in a blinding white light.


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

The scene that they came upon was something out of a nightmare.

Mathias inhaled deeply as he took in the visage of carnage that surrounded the once serene resort. The fear that had been swelling within him suddenly solidified into unrelenting dread at the carnage around him. The springs themselves were tinted in a sickening shade of pink that Mathias had seen all too often in his life. All about the landscape, broken and discarded spears and arrows lay plunged into the earth. Here and there a body lay mutilated and broken, a pool of dark crimson shadowed under their bodies.

Mathias was no longer thinking as he rushed forward, he gave only a sparing glance to the corpses, long enough to discern that none of them were Sasonosuke before he rushed forward towards the house.

"Mathias wait!" Nagi snapped, racing after him, but he wasn't listening. His mind was entirely focused on finding what had happened to his family.

He entered a small anteroom, not even bothering to remove his boots as he felt them momentarily skid across the slick floor. The smell that bombarded him was one that he was eerily familiar with; the stench of blood and voided entrails, the ghastly reminders of the battlefield that he had thought were behind him.

Everywhere he looked, he saw bodies strung about. Most he didn't recognize, at least not distinctively, they were all members of the Crow Tribe.

He stopped in the hallway, his heart plummeting as he came upon the first body that he did recognize. He knelt and saw the battered corpse of Tetshiro, the Crowman bodyboard's throat had been nearly severed and his head lay in an unnatural angle. He touched the pool of blood that had filled around Tetshiro's body, it had long since gone cold.

He paused over the man who had died defending his grandson and his family for only a moment before he rushed further down the hall. All around him, he continued to see more and more of his grandson's protectors, dead and mutilated by their attackers. It was no comfort to Mathias though, that the analytical voice in the back of his head recognized that Sasonosuke and his men had felled many more enemies than that of the defenders. Yet, even as the voice whispered into his mind, it mattered little, after all what mattered if Sasonosuke, Tomoe and Setsuna were dead.

As he journeyed down the corridor, he peered into each of the rooms as he passed, all were empty, and showed little to no sign of disturbance. What's more, he hadn't found Sasonosuke or his family yet. He was beginning to think that perhaps they had gotten out alive. That was until he reached the end of the hallway, and he opened the last door on the left.

Mathias didn't know how long he stood there; all he knew was that in that one fleeting moment, his heart shattered.

Nagi stopped next to the demon and peered of his shoulder, he inhaled sharply at what he saw within the room.

Dead Crowmen lay strung about the room, sliced and cut down. But in the center of the room, lay the disheaveled form of Sakurazaki Tomoe. Clad only in a simple bathrobe that had at one time been satin white, now though it was soaked in a dark crimson. In her lifeless hand she still clutched her _nodachi_.

Mathias's body moved without thought, his feet heavy with every step, slowly guided him into the room. He stood over Tomoe's body, the coldness embracing his body. He merely collapsed to his knees.

"Mathias!" Nagi shouted, but he didn't respond.

He stared at the hard expression on Tomoe's face, the determined look that seemed so out of place for a woman that Mathias had known. He was used to her kind smile, the look of love that livened up her whole face when she was around Sasonosuke. Or the humorous scorn that she took during her dressing downs that she constantly gave Mathias for doting on Setsuna. More than anything he remembered the way her face lit up with her laughter.

But this expression, it was one that he wasn't used to, not on her face. He knew she was a warrior, and at this very moment that was the face she showed. But it was more than that; it was the expression of a mother protecting everything she loved.

He reached out a hand, carefully pushing aside a strand of dark hair, allowing that hard look of her lifeless eyes to peer directly into his crimson.

"Mathias?" Nagi said, more gently, now standing beside him, again he did not respond. Nagi wished he could give his friend the time he needed to mourn, but time was of the essence, "Mathias, I can't find Sasonosuke or Setsuna anywhere on the premises." He stated.

That seemed to punch through to Mathias. The demon looked over to the young mage, and in that moment he saw the life return to Mathias's eyes, but it was hard expression, one with purpose.

He sighed deeply, looking back at Tomoe. He leaned closer to her, "I"ll find them, Tomoe." He whispered softly, "But I need your help to find them. I pray that you will forgive me for what I'm about to do." Mathias outstretched his arm, an arm that was imbued with an intricate magical array. With the edge of a claw-like nail, he raked it across the magical array.

At first nothing happened, but slowly, meticulously, the array began to retract, and Mathias felt the surge of magical power flow through him once again. With his hand, he placed it upon Tomoe's forehead.

"Please forgive me, Tomoe." He whispered again, then began reciting the incantation.

Nagi knew the words, instantly realizing what it was that Mathias was attempting to do, but he remained silent, a mere spectator in what was about to happen.

With the last word of the spell recited, the world began shifting, distorting as the dark magic of the spell went to work around the small room, and around Tomoe's body.

It was in that time that Nagi watched as Tomoe's body disappeared, same with the bodies of the dead Crowmen, the blood vanished and the guest room was immaculate and clean, the signs of the butchery that had occurred here gone.

Nagi could see Mathias though, he stood and was looking around the room. Beyond the room, the distinctive sounds of yelling and screams could be heard, but Mathias stood his ground waiting.

He did not have to wait long though, as the door to the room slid open with the violence and urgency that both men knew was coming.

In rushed Tomoe, in her hands was Setsuna, the young girl was frightened and looked up to her mother for reassurance.

Nagi had seen Mathias's expression towards the little girl many times before, but this time, the demon maintained a hard expression and Nagi could almost sense the rising murder that was building within him.

Tomoe rushed past Mathias, oblivious of his presence, she scooped up her _nodachi_ as she passed and then knelt near the futon closet, setting Setsuna down.

"Okay honey," She whispered to the frightened girl, offering her a bright smile, "We're going to play a little game, all right, honey?"

The girl nodded, unconvinced of her mother's carefree expression.

"All right Setchan." She whispered lovingly, "We're going to play a game of hide and seek okay. You like that game don't you?" the girl nodded slowly, "That's a good girl. Now I want you to hide in here, hide behind the futons. Make yourself as small as possible okay." The girl nodded again. "That's good, Setchan." Tomoe said, smilingly lovingly at the girl.

All around them, the sounds of violence was beginning to grow.

"Now, honey, you have to listen, this is very important. After you hide, I want you to place your hands over your ears and not make a sound. And whatever happens, you cannot leave that closet okay, do you understand that Setchan?" She asked, and the girl nodded.

"That's my Setchan." She whispered, her voice beginning to break. "Now remember honey, no matter what happens, no matter what you hear, you cannot make a sound or come out of that closet. Do you understand, Setchan."

"Yes mommy." The girl squeaked scared.

"Don't worry honey…" Tomoe whispered, "Mommy will be right here the whole time, don't worry." Tomoe was about to push the girl into the closet, but she relented for just a moment. With a final heavy sigh, she wrapped the girl in one last tender embrace. "And remember Setchan, Mommy and Daddy love you…we love you so much." Tomoe said, tears now streaming down her cheeks and wetting the girl's hair.

She inhaled deeply, and now the tears were gone. "Now, Setchan, it is time for you to hide." And with that she placed the small girl in the closet and shut the door.

The moment she did that, she heard a screech emanate from the doorway to the room. There, standing hunched over was the massive form of a Crowman warrior, his lance held in his hand, he squawked once then charged.

Tomoe was not only a _shinmei-ryu _swordswoman, but one of the best that had every studied the art. And in that moment, the warrior realized it as he leveled his lance and charged, expecting to deliver an easy killing plow upon a woman who was draped in nothing but a bathrobe. He never had time to realize his mistake, as the _nodachi_ at Tomoe's side cleared it's sheathe and sliced the Crowman from shoulder to hip in a vicious lateral slice.

The body fell, and Tomoe was to her feet, her expression hard as she waited for her next attacker. She did not have to wait long as two more warriors followed after their comrade. They paused though in the doorway as they stared at the body of the warrior before them, and the woman holding the sword, now covered in blood, the expression of pure death etched into that face.

They moved into the room cautiously, their lances held low as they began to circle her.

Tomoe knew that the Crowmen's size, and the reach of their lances would hinder their mobility and effectiveness in the small room, but she also knew that her own abilities were at a disadvantage as well. While she was smaller than any of the warriors, her nodachi was nearly as long as their lances. She had to be careful how she attacked.

Her thoughts though never reached her face as she watched the two attempted to flank her, careful to say out of her immediate reach. She kept her eye on each of them as they circled to her right and left. One of them would initiate the strike, then the other would attempt to deliver the killing blow. She had been taught how to deal with those circumstances.

It turned out that the one to her left initiated the strike by lunging forward. Tomoe's hands flew, and her _nodachi_ sliced through the air, killing the Demon in a single swoop that lobbed off his head, but she wasn't finished as the Crowman to her right drove forward with his lance. Tomoe spun lithely with her momentum that killed the first attacker and knelt to give her weapon the maximum room to maneuver as she finished her swing that snaked around the other attacker's lance and sliced cleanly through his armor and into his chest.

Her third victim's eyes widened in shock and surprise as his lance found nothing but empty air and that his chest now exploded in agony. He only had time to recognize that his wounds were fatal before the sword reemerged and Tomoe spun the hilt in her hand and drove it straight into the demon's face.

As his body collapsed to the ground, more warriors were beginning to fill the room. Attempting to track Tomoe's movements were almost a blur as her sword flew through the air. Only the sound of a gargled screams or the crumpling of a body were the tell-tale markers of her wrath.

Nagi's hands were balled fists as he watched the carnage, and the reality of what he was witnessing setting in. For every Crowman the beautiful warrior killed, two more would file in, in the end they would inevitably win in battle simply by smothering Tomoe in bodies.

That might be the strategy that would decide the battle, but Tomoe was willing to ensure that her attackers exacted a horrendous butcher's bill for their victory.

Her twelfth victim lay trembling as death claimed him when another Crowman thrust forward, his lance looking to deliver a decapitating blow. Nagi or Mathias would never know what had happened, if Tomoe had simply lost track of her enemy, or that fatigue was merely beginning to bite into her movements, but her only option was to deliver her own thrusting attack with her _nodachi_.

The sword entered through the Crowman's neck, and the warrior gawked in surprise at just how quick she managed to recover from her previous attack. But in forcing a thrusting attack in such close-quarters, Tomoe had been backed up slowly into a corner and could not remove the weapon swiftly before another attack was delivered.

To the surprise of everyone that attack erupted from the chest of the warrior she just killed.

Nagi heard Mathias inhale sharply as he saw the attack land home.

Tomoe was completely taken by surprise as she saw the lance explode from the Crowman's chest and stab into her own. Her eyes widened in horror as she felt the edged blade slip through her ribs. She coughed in surprise, but her training was still guiding her. Her foot shot out and she kicked the Crowman backwards, driving the corpse and the attacker behind him away from her, and also relieving her sword from it trap.

She stumbled backwards, her breathing becoming ragged and her body trembling, but she did not relent.

Sakurazaki Tomoe looked up from her wound and bore a challenging grin.

It was an expression that gave her attackers pause. They had been told that the woman, while trained in the arts of demon slaying most certainly could not have kept up her skills as a mother. That she would be easy prey, but what they were now seeing was not a demon slayer, but much worse. They were witnessing before them, challenging them forward was a demon, a menacing force more terrible than even they were prepared to admit.

It was that hesitation that Tomoe exploited in a moment, lunging forward, her _Yunagi _claiming more and more lives with each stroke of her blade. Screams from her attackers that had once been of challenge and victory gave way to fear and horror as the demon cleaved into them.

But it wasn't to last. The wound that had been inflicted had been fatal, and the Crowman warriors when cornered were left with no other choice but to carry their fight forward or face certain death. Many died, but they redoubled their efforts, if for no other reason than their own survival.

Many still died, but for every death that Tomoe exacted she lost ground; both physically and of her own energy. The wound was beginning to slow her down, and not even her own adrenaline could continue to fog the anguish and fatigue that was beginning to sweep over her.

But she did not relent. Every Crowman she did not killed was one that would hurt her Setsuna, and thus all of them would die.

As yet another of the endless warriors died at her feet, she stumbled forward, her gaze resting on her _Yunagi_, the gift given to her by Eishen-sama when she had graduated from the _shinmei-ryu_. It blade was soaked in blood, but it still cut through the demons with ease, never showing signs of fatigue, not like its wielder currently was. It was a good weapon, one that she had hoped to pass onto Setsuna…

More enemies entered the room, and she gritted her teeth as they began to multiply. It took her a moment to realize that they weren't really multiplying, but her vision was beginning to blur. That wasn't a good sign.

She lunged forward, slipping past the warrior's lance, but not completely as she felt the edge bite into her side, but it didn't matter, he was already dead. She moved again, cursing her body's inability to continue the fight as yet another lance's edge bit into her. This time she felt it cut into her left shoulder, but strangely enough the pain seemed distant and unimportant.

She stumbled back, her breathing was ragged, the coppery taste in her mouth strong and her body weak. The Crowmen circled around her, and she kept her sword ready to cut down any that would press their attack.

None did though.

The room was becoming darker, and she stumbled forward, but the Crowmen retreated from her presence, pressing away from the murderous woman.

Her legs were so heavy, like rubber, why was that?

_Yunagi _ was so heavy in her hands, but she couldn't release it, for what reason she could no longer remember.

The sounds around her were becoming faint and…

She collapsed, but her sword was still up, as her entire body heaved against the weight of the world that was pressing down upon her.

One of the warriors took that moment to deliver the killing blow. A blow that he was all too horrified to discover was his own as the _nodachi_ flew once again, cleaving his head from his shoulders.

The Crowmen merely gawked in horror that such a woman could still kill so effortlessly when she herself was so close to death.

They decided in that moment that perhaps the best course of action was simply to let death run its course for this demon, because none of them would survive if they were to attempt it.

And eventually death did come. she lay there, crumbled to the ground, her faithful _Yunagi _still clasped in her hand.

The silence that hovered over the room as the Crowmen watched as death finally succumbed the warrior that they could not have vanquished. How in the world a mere human, a _human_ _woman_ could have exacted such destruction and death was beyond them, but the reality that they had fought against a truly great warrior could not be lost on them.

They did not touch her body, instead they left her where she lay. A few even bowed their heads in respect, but still their duty was still at hand. They quickly searched the room, tearing open closets and upending futons. And that was where they found the cowering little girl. She stared up at the Crowmen, then past them to where the body of her mother stood.

Her eyes widened in horror and Setsuna screamed for her mother as they took her from the room. In that moment the world began to swirl once more as the visage ended, but not before Nagi heard one of the Crowmen speak, it was in the Tongue of the Ancients, and even he had yet to grasp the language.

Nagi hadn't realized he had been holding his breath throughout the entire fight. It was a terrible sensation, he had witnessed the ending of this battle, knew that Tomoe was going to die, but still, he had longed for hope, attempting to deceive himself that some different outcome were possible.

His body shook as the freezing sensation bit into the core of his body. He felt his knees shake as he realized that this was one of the after effects of witnessing a Death Visage. It was a dark art, requiring the use of the practitioner's life energy to be able to generate. Nagi was merely a bystander and he even felt the effects, he gazed over to where Mathias knelt, the magical array once again in place around his arm, and his cold murderous expression devoid of any trace of concern for his well being.

He gazed down at Tomoe body, and he allowed a tender smile to cross his face as he stared at hers.

"I have to leave you for now, Tomoe." He whispered, "But I will save Setsuna, you have my word." He promised softly, standing and turning to Nagi. "We need to go." His voice instantly changing, returning to the commanding tone that Nagi hadn't heard in almost a decade.

As they left the Bath House, Nagi couldn't restrain himself any longer, "Mathias, are you okay?" He asked sincerely.

Mathias never looked back, "It doesn't matter. I know where they took Setsuna."


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

The roar of the mob filled the Mausoleum of the Chosen People, almost deafening Mishima Naoyuki as he took the Altar of Divinity, looking up into the tiered pews at the assembled masses of the People. There were far fewer than there had been when this day had begun, and Naoyuki could not help but feel the hate begin to rise in his soul at the carnage that the beaten and bruised man shackled before him and his thrice-damned _human_ wife, had inflicted upon the People. It would take generations for them to recover from their losses, but thanks to their efforts at least the People _would_ have a future to look forward to.

The Shaman gazed upon the child who was huddled next to her father, her expression terrified, her eyes were read and lost, tears still streaming down her cheeks, while Sasonosuke attempted to comfort the girl as best he could. More than a small part of Mishima despised what he had to do, for to sacrifice was child was not something that came naturally to him, nor would he have been able to live with himself if he believed it could.

What was to be done was for the good of the People, and as wretched as he felt about it, it had long since fortified himself with the consequences that his actions would have upon his soul. If they were to survive, the girl must perish in the Ritual of Cleansing.

"Chosen People of the Crow!" Mishima's voice bellowed through the cavernous chamber, "We have a sickness that had plagued our people! It has poisoned our crops, and cast us into despair! For three years now, we have been made to suffer as this darkness that has loomed over us, but no longer! We have discovered the source of this evil my People!"

He paused to let the crowd digest his words, watched as the mob bent to his will. "For generations, we have been made to suffer! Cast out of our own world and forced to live here among the humans! We were given a further disgrace by having the blood of the treacherous Demon King amongst our people!" He paced towards the girl, "I give your proof!" He snarled, snatching the girl by the arm. Sasonosuke attempting to swipe at Mishima, but was bludgeoned down by two warriors standing over him.

The girl writhed and screamed in his hold, but even for his advanced age, Mishima could still hold the girl and present her to the masses."Behold! White hair and wings and crimson eyes, the marks of the Demon King! The sign of the plague that damns our people!

"I fear what we must do, for this girl, by her own intentions, has done nothing wrong! It is the blood that courses in her veins that will not only poison her soul, but poisons the People as well! This is the sort of monster that the Demon King is! To poison the innocent and force them to be the instruments of his actions! We must cleanse this child not only to save her from the wretchedness that flows through her, but to save our people as well!"

The mob's reaction redoubled.

"Stop!" a voice cut through the crowd. Eyes swiveled to the sight and settled upon the sprawled form of Sasonosuke. "You're insane! Setsuna has nothing to do in all of this!"

"And you too, Sakurazaki Sasonosuke, beloved hero of the People, are also a victim in all of this." Mishima's voice sounded so sincere as he released the girl into the care of one of the warriors and approached the kneeling man. "But you too have been poisoned by the Demon King." He stated, "His blood runs through your veins as well, and as deviousness as his evil is, he has spared you of the tell-tale markings that would have alerted us of your heritage."

"I have lived amongst the People my whole life! I have fought and protected the People throughout that life! I've never seen this plague you speak of, old man!" He snarled viciously.

"That is because you have been blinded by the Demon King!" Mishima snarled, raising his voice to the crowd, "You are his progeny! You have even fought amongst him! It should only be natural that he would taint you, poison you, so that you could once again being suffering upon the People!" He shook his head sadly, "You are a great warrior, Sasonosuke. But you've have also been used; duped into bringing a disease back to the people, in the form of this abomination!" He snarled pointing at Setsuna.

Sasonosuke lunged forward, "Don't you dare call her that!" He snarled as his restraints bit into his wrists and ankles and the clubs in the warrior's hands once again descended, but he didn't succumb, he fought as they beat him down. Setsuna cried out restrained by the warrior as she screaming for them to stop.

"I take no pleasure in what must be done here." Mishima said solemnly. "Understand though, that soon, you will be cleansed of this pestilence and be allowed to carry over into the next life free of these burdens." He turned to the warrior, "bring the girl forth." He commanded.

"Please, wait!" Sasonosuke pled. "Don't do this!"

"There is no choice, Sasonosuke, her presence is killing our people. It has happened before. The only way to prevent it is to cleanse the child." By now Setsuna had been placed upon the Altar, and Mishima was approaching.

Sasonosuke watched with dread. All of his battles, all of his training, and he could do nothing to stop them, to protect Setchan. He had longed for hope that Hajime had found Mathias; that his grandfather would swoop in and save them.

He still held up that hope, but he knew there was one last thing he could do, to pray that this one sacrifice would buy the time for Mathias to reach him. "Wait!" he commanded, his voice booming over the crowd, even in his current battered state.

Mishima was about to ignore the protest, but Sasonosuke continued unhindered. "Cleanse me first!" He demanded something that brought the entire chamber into silence as everyone focused upon him.

"What?" the Shaman asked surprised.

"If you're going to cleanse us both, let me go first." He demanded, looking over to Setsuna who stared at him in horror. "Please, Mishima, a father should never outlive his children."

The silence that followed seemed to sweep over the entire chamber as the Shaman thought over the father's last request. Finally though, Mishima nodded, "I am not a monster Sakurazaki Sasonosuke." He relented, "I will honor your request." He nodded to the warriors. Quickly, Setsuna was set aside and Sasonosuke was brought forth to the Altar.

Setsuna gazed at her father, confused and frightened as realization dawned upon her. "Daddy!" She whimpered.

Sasonosuke gave his daughter, his precious, beautiful daughter, a loving smile. "Don't worry, honey. Daddy loves you, never forget that." He inhaled deeply, "Please, close your eyes and don't watch."

The little girl just stared at her father, unable to obey his words.

Sasonosuke was brought up by his shackles, and secured to the base of circular precipice around the Altar of Divinity. Moonlight glinted in from the night sky and he stared up defiantly into Mishima Naoyuki's eyes. His only thoughts were of Setsuna, and praying that Mathias would at the very least be able to rescue her. If he had to sacrifice himself so that his daughter could live, then it was a price he was more than willing to pay.

_Please, Ojii-san, save Setsuna_. He thought as he saw the ceremonial dagger rise in Mishima's hand.

It descended with sickening finality into Sasonosuke's chest. He grunted as the weapon pierced his breast, but otherwise he did not say another word. His teeth gritted in anger and betrayal, he maintain his glare upon the Shaman he wished dead upon all else.

With the dagger firmly implanted, the spell was enacted, and Sasonosuke gritted his teeth as he felt the intense fire wash over him, swelling from inside, until finally it exploded from his chest. The inferno engulfed him.

All the while the crowd, and a single terrified girl, watched as Sasonosuke was swallowed by the fury of the cleansing fire.

It was a sight that broke the girl. She slumped in the warrior's arms, her knees unable to support her any longer as she collapsed.

It took almost fifteen minutes for the fire to extinguish itself, and in its wake the stench of burnt flesh and bone filled the chamber, even the sickening stench though did not detract Mishima from his task. He picked up the second of the two ceremonial daggers and beckoned for the child. "Place her upon the Altar." He commanded.

The girl was dragged into the Alter, slumped amongst the ash and embers that had been her father; she didn't even have the strength to look up at the Shaman as he approached holding the dagger up and preparing to deliver the final blow that would save his people.

Inhaling deeply, he lifted the dagger above his head. "For the People!" He swore as the daggered descended.

"_Sagitta Magica, Una Fulguralis!"_

A deafening crackle ripped through the Mausoleum in that moment, and Mishima gaped in shock as he stumbled backwards, looking at his hand, which was now nothing more than a broken and useless stub. What was left of his hand still clutched the ceremonial dagger, resting some meters away from him. Suddenly dozens of warriors converged upon him, their eyes shocked and searching around the Mausoleum for whoever had attacked the old Shaman.

They didn't have to scan long as every set of eyes fell upon the two humans who were quickly pacing towards the Altar. One of them was a tall, lean man with red hair. The other was a shorter, more muscular man with long platinum hair and an expression of relentless murder.

The shock that smothered the crowd of the Mausoleum stilled them from action. They merely gawked as two _humans_ casually walked into the chamber that was most sacred to them.

The red headed man paused about halfway towards the Altar, his expression upon the crowd, while the other man marched relentlessly towards the Altar. He paced up the two short steps towards the Cleaning circle and knelt down upon the ash and scooped up the girl into a gentle embrace.

"It's okay now Setchan." He whispered soothingly into her ear.

The girl did not respond immediately. But the man continued to whisper soothing words to her. Finally she seemed to respond after a minute. "Ojii-san," she cried ever so softly. "Daddy…daddy…daddy…" her body shook in his embrace and the man stared at the ash strung about him, his expression suddenly growing cold as death as the reality of the circumstances set in.

No matter what he might think, Mathias would forever blame himself for what happened to Sasonosuke. It might not have been mattered in the end, but he could not help but believe that by allowing the young boy to follow him into battle throughout the Great War, he had perpetuated this moment.

He had known the moment when that young warrior had offered his services that he was one of Mathias's grandchildren, and the young man, a boy really, had been so eager and inexperienced that Mathias had originally cast him aside. But Sasonosuke had been relentless, constantly assuring Mathias that he could fight, that he could be of some help.

Despite himself, the young boy had actually managed to win the demon over, and Mathias had allowed Sasonosuke to join the _Momento Mori_. He had originally meant for the lad to be nothing more than a page and courier, but his tenacity had eventually placed the boy into danger, and he had survived, forged by the horrific battles of that terrible war into becoming the brave man that had won the heart of Tomoe and produced something as beautiful and precious Setsuna.

Now all of that was gone. And the dam of fury that Mathias had been holding at bay finally broke as he stared at the warriors and Shaman on the Altar.

He stared down at the shaking girl in his arms and offered her a small smile, "Don't worry Setchan. You are safe now. You have nothing to worry about any longer." Every word he spoke was sincere, breaking the sorrow that suffocated the girl. "No one will hurt you ever again. But I need you to go to sleep now." The girl stared at him in disbelief, but Mathias only offered a caring smile as he quietly recited the sleeping spell.

The girl in his arms closed her eyes drowsily as she drifted into a dreamless sleep.

Mathias turned and walked towards Nagi. He stopped directly in front of the younger man and offered him the sleeping child. "Nagi, take Setsuna and get back to the Kansai Association." His voice left absolutely no room for discussion.

That was not to say that Nagi was going to obey, "What are you planning on doing, Mathias." He demanded, even though he took the sleeping child.

Mathias glared at the Altar. "These people have much to answer to."

"Mathias, you can't—" he began to protest.

"Nagi, protect my granddaughter and get her out of here now." Mathias's tone was biting, "I will not ask again."

Nagi had lived his life with few regrets, but seeing Mathias on this evening, he knew that if he left he would indeed regret his decision to abandon his friend to the madness that he knew was consuming him. And yet, as he held the sleeping child in his arms, upon witnessing her mother valiantly fighting to protect her, and knowing that this girl had just witnessed her father's death, Nagi wished for justice to be served.

But Mathias wasn't out for justice, just cold, hate-filled vengeance consumed the demon.

"Mathias…" Nagi began.

"LEAVE NOW!" Snarled Mathias, his crimson eyes flaring, and suddenly a barrier engulfing the entire Mausoleum and separating the two men.

"Damn you, Mathias!" Nagi snarled, but even as he snapped out the curse, he knew his heart wasn't in it. He stared down one final moment at the girl in his arms and turned away, abandoning his friend to the darkness that would consume him. "Damn you." He grated as he left.

The assembled members of the Crow Tribe had seemed to recover from their shock and were now glaring at the interloper who had just taken the girl from their midst. Warriors found their weapons and were beginning to converge as the man approached the Altar of Divinity. He walked directly into the Cleansing Circle, amongst the ashes of his grandson and glared at the Shaman who was now resting against the far wall while attendants attempted to treat his wounds.

"Why?" His voice boomed throughout the chamber, "Why would you do this!"

Mishima stared at the interloper in disgust, "The matters of the People do not concern such beasts as you _human_." The shaman snarled.

"That is where you're wrong, Shaman." The man said acidly, "You people—all of you present—are responsible for the murders of Sakurazaki Tomoe and Sakurazaki Sasonosuke." His gaze fell on the warriors who were slowly inching towards him, "And what I demand to know is why you killed my family!"

That statement gave the warriors pause, and Mishima gaped at the human, "The human woman died by involving herself in our affairs."

"I've seen how she died." Mathias snarled back, his right hand loosening the tie around his neck and opening the top button on his shirt, revealing a magical array that lay beneath it. "But I wanted to know why you felt the need to kill them."

Mishima was growing tired of this drivel. "He's descended from the Demon King, who brought a plague upon our people." He chuckled, "You may have saved the girl, but we'll find her and we will cleanse the bloodline from our people once and for all."

Mathias's gaze froze on the Shaman. "You killed them because they were related to me." He whispered in disbelief.

The words did not seem to register, but Mathias didn't care any longer, the fury within him blazed uncontrollably. He shook his head, it was a slow deliberate motion, made by a man who had made up his mind. "No, no you will never lay a single finger on that girl ever again." He promised upon not just the Shaman by all other Crowmen present.

"Who do you think you are to stop us!" Mishima hacked bitterly.

Mithias brought a clawed finger to the magical array at the base of his neck, where the command seal for the entire magical array rested. "I am the one who will make all of you pay for what you have done this night." He stated as he broke the seal, and in that moment, the entire magical array that wrapped around his body, suppressing the chaotic magical energy brought forth by the Destruction Protocols of the Great War, surged through his body awaiting his command.

A pair of pristine white wings exploded from his back, and the Shaman, along with everyone else present, stared in unadulterated horror as they realized the monster that had walked into their lair.

Death leveled his gaze upon the Shaman, "I am Mathias the _Ala Ferrum_."

Nagi Springfield cradled the sleeping child in his arms tenderly as he flew across the evening sky north towards the Kansai Association. He was not but a kilometer away from the Mausoleum that had been carved into the side of the rolling mountains when he sensed the release of energy that could only come from the removal of Mathias's master seal.

He looked over his shoulder only to watch as a emerald fire erupted from Mausoleum and sensed that he the man with whom Nagi had come to feel was one of his closest friends in these last few years had just given it all away for the madness that boiled within him.

And yet, Nagi never went back.


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

Brilliant sunlight bathed Nagi Springfield as he lay back amongst the grass in one of the Kansai Association's many beautiful gardens. Even the tranquility of the garden though could do little to calm Nagi of that terrible evening two days earlier.

The sound of footsteps alerted the magus of someone approaching and he cast a humorless smile as he saw Konoe Eishun approaching. The Head Elder of the Kansai Association seemed even more distressed than Nagi felt.

He propped himself up on one elbow and nodded to the older man. "How're Setsuna, Eishun?"

There had been a time that the older man would have chastised Nagi about the appropriateness of proper etiquette and formal titles, but that was not today. Despite his perpetual need to stand on ceremony, Eishun slumped into the grass next to Nagi, staring out at the small pond and cherry trees of the garden. "Not good." He said, "The healers have repaired her physical damage…but there's little one can do for the soul."

Nagi nodded somberly. This was something that was beyond his area of expertise. "Why can't things be simple again, Eishun? Back when we simply saw the bad guys and went after them."

"They were hardly _easy_ back then, Nagi." Eishun sighed, "But they were things we were prepared to handle."

"Have you heard anything about Mathias?" Nagi asked.

The Head Elder shook his head, "Our scouts that we sent to the Crow Tribe returned a few hours ago." He shook his head, "They found the Mausoleum. From what we could see, Mathias didn't leave anyone alive."

"I was afraid of that." Nagi whispered.

"No, you don't understand Nagi." Eishun snapped angrily, "He didn't just kill those people, he butchered them! It was worse than anything we ever saw him do during the Great War. He did things…" He let his voice trail off as he shook his head in exasperation.

"What would you do to someone who hurt Konoka?" Nagi asked.

"Don't try and absolve that demon of what he did, and don't you even dare to ask that question." Eishun snapped angrily.

"I was just thinking about what Mathias told me about family before everything happened, Eishun." Nagi explained, "He told me that children can bring out the best in a man, now I know it can also bring out the worst."

Eishun didn't respond immediately, he just looked at his friend carefully for a long moment, thinking about what he had said, after a moment he sighed. "Konoka is the most amazing thing that ever happened to me." He admitted earnestly, "And I don't want to ever image what I might do to someone who hurt her." He grudgingly sighed, "I know Mathias and I have not always seen eye-to-eye about things, and I tend to think the worst about the man, but…" He shook his head, "I can't justify what he did, because I can't imagine what he went through, Nagi. And I pray that I never do."

The sound of hurried footsteps drew the attention of both men, and they peered over to see a messenger racing to meet them. He bowed deeply as he approached. "Forgive the intrusion, Head Elder, but the demon Mathias has returned."

That was all Eishun and Nagi needed to hear before they raced towards the entrance to the Kansai Association.

The man that stood there brought them both to a dead stop. Mathias stood there, wearing the same white suit that he had the day before, with a sheathed _nodachi_ hanging from his back. In his hands was an enshrouded body. Just gauging from the body's shape, there was little doubt in either man's mind that it belonged to Sakurazaki Tomoe.

Perhaps what was more though, was the look in Mathias's face. Eishun was used to seeing the arrogant defiance and superiority that the demon carried with him everywhere he went. Those who didn't know him well, would say that he still portrayed that same aura. Eishun saw it though, buried in the depths of the man's eyes, the hollowness that was now present.

Two _shinmei-ryu_ swordsmen who guarded the entrance looked from the approaching demon to the Head Elder who merely nodded them to stand down. As the demon entered the dominion of the Kansai Association, saw the body that he carried in his hands, they bowed deeply. Mathias knew full well that it was the body that he carried to whom they bowed and not him, and frankly he it mattered little to him.

He walked right up to Eishun and Nagi, stopping a few meters away. He stared at each man levelly, then looked down at the body in his arms. "I brought her home." He whispered, and both men's eyes widened as the heard the hoarse words come from the man before them.

Mathias might be the oldest individual either of them had ever met, an accursed demon, but in that moment, Eishun realized that the person before him was a man who had endured a loss that the Head Elder was no even willing to imagine. In all the battles, feuds and trivial encounters that Eishun the others had had with Mathias, the demon had always been so self-assured, so strong, and never afraid. It had allowed Eishun to believe that the demon was a heartless, coldblooded murderer. While more than a small part of him still believed that to be true, he was now seeing Mathias in a light that he believed so few were ever allowed.

Mathias inhaled deeply, as if shaking off his insecurity then stared at Eishun levelly, "I brought her home." He stated, his voice firm, and controlled. "She deserved to be given the proper rights by her own people." He stated, giving the covered face long look.

"Of course." Eishun said heavily, looking over his shoulder were an ever growing number of onlookers stood. He waved over a pair of monks who had appeared. They bowed deeply to Mathias as they took the body from him and disappeared into the bowels of the temple grounds.

Mathias looked to the other men, "Where's Setsuna?" He asked.

The girl was sitting on her futon, draped in a simple kimono, with her hands wrapped around her legs as she buried her face into her chest. The sound of the door sliding open into the room didn't even faze the girl from the abyss that she had been thrown into.

Mathias wished he could smile, smile that she was safe, that her parent's valiant efforts had not been in vain. But seeing the small girl before her, a girl he was so used to seeing so full of life left a deep emptiness in him.

He walked carefully and knelt down beside the girl on the futon. There was a moment of hesitation before he discarded his concerns and wrapped the girl in a loving embrace.

"Setchan," he whispered softly into her ear. "Can you hear me?" he asked, dropping all of his barriers, all of his airs that he cast about himself and simply allowed him to the human being that he originally was. Opening his heart to this young innocent life.

"I can't cry anymore Ojii-san." The words came out flat and devoid of life, and Mathias felt the fear redouble upon his soul. "I can't cry anymore." She said as she looked up, crimson eyes staring into crimson eyes. "I've tried, but I can't cry anymore. I want mommy and daddy." She said, "But I can't cry."

"I know sweetheart." Mathias whispered, "It hurts, I know." He stared up to the heavens, so much pain swelling through him from the last few days. He was no stranger to loss, to the wrongness of the world, but he knew that he deserved some of that, deserved it the moment he had made his pact. This child though, so innocent, what had she ever done to deserve this fate? The People had claimed it was simply because she was descended from him. How cruel could this world truly be?

_This is yet another reason to reshape this world_. Mathias thought solemnly, remembering his promise.

"I want to be with mommy and daddy." Setsuna said, the determination in her voice setting off warning alarms throughout Mathias' mind. He stared down at the girl in horror.

"I'm sorry Setchan, what did you say?" He asked calmly, drawing back from the girl and staring at her swollen eyes and feeling his heart chill at the determination in her expression.

"I said," she said in that same flat, calm voice, "I want to be with mommy and daddy." Then her expression hardened, "I have to be with mommy and daddy." Then she broke her gaze and stared down at her hands. "Will you help me Ojii-san."

Fresh tears burned down the side of Mathias's face, as he stared at this three year old little girl. In that moment, the world had become far crueler than he could have ever imagined possible. He stared at the young girl before him, realizing in that moment that his family, a family he had loved for so long was now gone, had been utterly destroyed in a single night.

Inhaling sharply, he stared at her levelly, a smile—so small, so fragile—crossed his face. "I will help you, honey." He said softly. Even his words, his acceptance had no reaction in those young crimson eyes. It broke him,

"I will help you," he repeated, breathing deeply, fortifying himself from what he was about to do. "You need to lay down and close your eyes, Setchan." He said, using the nickname that Tomoe had given to her daughter with the tenderness that he knew was about to be lost forever.

The girl complied, lying down, and Mathias placed the blanket over her. "Now you're going to go to sleep, Setchan. And when you wake up, you'll be in a better place. All right."

The girl nodded once, and Mathias gave her one last tender smile as he outstretched his right hand and placed it upon the girl's forehead. "Now close your eyes."

Those crimson eyes closed and Mathias stared up at the ceiling. There was a time that he had believed in God, and truth be told he did believe in a higher being, but he had long since abandoned such notions that he would ever find guidance from that being. Still, a small part of his mind tried to cling to hope that he was wrong.

But in that moment, he was yet again left without an answer, only his own choice.

"Good-bye Setchan." He whispered softly, as he began reciting the magical incantation.

Erasing people's memories was not nearly as difficult as some magi believed, or more to the point, it did not require as much magical power as those magi believed. The human mind was easy to muddle and manipulate at least in the short-term. But long-term memories, those memories that defined a person were something entirely different. It required more magic, more concentration and more finesse. Even the limited access that the demon had to his magical reserves was enough to accomplish the first criteria, the other two merely required time and patience.

An hour later, Mathias removed his hand from the girl's forehead. She was sound asleep, snoring even. It would be the first restful sleep that the girl would ever have, and hopefully the first of many.

But as Mathias rose, he continued to damn himself again and again for what he had just done. He truly was the most despicable of beings for what he had just done. He might have ended up saving this girl's life, given her a reason to keep moving forward and living, but in doing so she had stricken away the memories of everyone who ever loved her. He had erased the memories of the mother who fought to her dying breath to keep butchers from her child, wiped away any trace of the father who bravely sacrificed himself for his daughter just to buy time that she might be rescued. But more accurately, Mathias had erased from Setsuna's mind any trace of the grandfather who had been responsible for this tragedy, the grandfather whose actions centuries earlier had planted the seed of hatred and distrust into the People. The grandfather who had arrived too late to save this girl's mother and father from being butchered all because of him.

All of his efforts to reconcile his life and to become a good grandfather all for naught. In the end, his only recourse was to distance himself from his grandchildren, to erase his mistakes and take solace in the fact that she would be better off now without him in her life.

He allowed himself one final look at the sleeping child before him, savoring the memory of just how precious and beautiful she was, before he turned and removed himself from her life. No matter how much he confided in himself that this was for the best, he still could not lie to himself that he was just a coward.

The funeral was held that night in one of the courtyards near the rear of the Temple. Tomoe's body had been placed upon a funeral pyre, with monks and attendants finished the preparations. All around the pyre, mourners bowed their heads in silence, while others chanted prayers softly.

The courtyard was filled with members of the Kansai Association who knew Tomoe personally, or had known of her exploits during her life. Even those who might have had a grievance in one form or the other had come to pay their respects.

Eishun walked forward, the torch in his hand held tenderly as he stared at the covered body on top of the pyre. Tomoe and he had had some disagreements over the years, it was expected given his own position and the choices she had made in her life. But even then, he had loved her like a daughter, and the sight before him still made his heart ache.

"Eishun-dono." A voice whispered behind him.

Eishun stopped and looked over to see Mathias standing behind him. The two men had not exchanged words since his return, and he continued to surprise Eishun as he bowed deeply.

"May I?" He asked staring at the body of Sakurazaki Tomoe. Despite the circumstances and his own teachings and personal feelings, Eishun knew that whatever this man might be he too saw Tomoe in the same light as Eishun had.

Eishun nodded, stepping aside and allowing the demon to pass. He walked carefully towards the pyre.

"I saved her, Tomoe." He whispered softly, "But even so, I don't think you should forgive me for what I did to save her." He sighed heavily, "I only hope that perhaps you can find some solace in what's happened." With that he removed a small vial from his pocket, in it rested the ashes he had recovered from the Altar of Divinity. "I hope someday Sasonosuke and you can forgive me," he placed the ashes on her body and turned away.

Eishun watched Mathias walk from the funeral pyre, and left the courtyard.


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

It was two days following the funeral that Eishun found himself in Mathias's quarters. The demon sat on the floor, cleaning _Yunagi_ when the Head Elder entered the room, his face contorted in rage.

"What the hell have you done!" He snarled as he entered the room.

Mathias did not even hesitate his ministration of cleaning the _nodachi_. "Setsuna's finally awoken." He concluded.

"Oh, yeah she's waken up, a regular ball of energy." Eishun snarled. "Doesn't have a clue about what happened to her over these last few days. And from what the Healers can tell me, she doesn't have a single clue who her parents are! Or who you are for that matter!"

"Good." Mathias said as he continued to run the blade over the sharpening stone.

"Good. Good! That is all that you have to say for what happened." Eishun snapped.

"Yes," Mathias said, "She'll be happy now."

"She has no idea who her parents are!"

"That doesn't matter anymore." Mathias said. "They're not around anymore."

Eishun's hands were balled into fists, "Damn you, Mathias, what kind of monster are you!"

Mathias stopped for a moment, then resumed his activities. "Exactly the sort of monster you think I am. I thought after all of these years you would have learned what sort of demon you've been dealing with."

"You bastard!" He snarled. "What do you think you were doing?"

"Saving her life," Mathias said, for the first time looking up at Eishun. "They were going to kill her because of who she was related to. Do you understand that, they were going to kill her because she is my granddaughter. Because she has white hair, red eyes, and white wings," His voice was flat and dripping with acid, "They were going to kill her because she looks like me, because she is related to me."

"So what, you erase everything she ever loved for what?"

Mathias was silent for a moment and Eishun glowered at him pressing on, "You tell me why you did it?"

"Because if I hadn't she wouldn't be alive any longer!" Mathias snarled, "Don't you get it. She has nothing Eishun. She has nothing and it's all my fault!"

"Bullshit!" the man snarled back, shocking Mathias. For as long as he had known the younger man, he had never used such profanity. "That girl still has you, and now…" He shook his head.

"Mishima Naoyuki escaped." Mathias said softly.

The Kansai Association Elder looked at him puzzled, forcing Mathias to explain. "He was the Shaman who killed Tomoe and Sasonosuke." He admitted heavily, "And he was the one who planted the idea to kill them all. During the chaos at the Mausoleum, he somehow penetrated my barrier and escape," he sighed heavily, "I was so lost in my bloodlust that I didn't care any longer. But he escaped and I couldn't detect him. He's most likely gone to the other tribes and told them of what happened."

"So what?" Eishun hissed.

"I can't take care of Setsuna." Mathias stated.

"Because of this Mishima person?"

"Because now the entire Crow People will be after me…will be after her." He explained. "I can take care of myself just fine, I have been for the last eight years, but Eishun." He sighed heavily, "Eishun I wanted to spare Setsuna of that, she can't go back to the People, and I can't take her with me. The only place that she will be safe is here, at the Kansai Association where the People are too afraid to attack. Someplace where she can start anew."

"Because you're going to be on the run?" Eishun asked.

Mathias sighed, "No, because I still intend to kill Mishima."

Eishun balked, "Haven't you learned anything yet, Mathias. It doesn't matter!"

Mathias glared at the other man angrily, "Yes it does, he killed Tomoe and Sasonosuke, and I _will _kill him!"

"Do you know where he is?"

"No." He said flatly, "He's gone to ground."

"So you have no leads."

"Not yet."

"So it could be months, or years before you ever discover him, right?" Eishun asked.

"It could be, but I don't think so." Mathias grated.

"But you don't know that." Eishun sighed, "You're about ready to go crusading off to kill this man, and leave Setsuna behind, a girl who has just lost everything important to her. A girl who _you're_ responsible for why she has forgotten her parents. So you can do what, seek vengeance?"

"I want justice." Mathias snapped.

"What you did in that Mausoleum wasn't _justice_, Mathias." Eishun snarled, "And I won't have you attempting to hide behind some pretext that it was. You butchered those demons!"

"Call it whatever you want, Eishen, it doesn't matter."

"Oh yes it does." He sighed, "You know, Nagi was telling me how much you cherished your children, how much you cared about family. Well, from what I'm seeing, you would rather run away from your family just to serve your own needs." He snapped. "Think about what's good for them."

"Eishun, the last thing Setsuna needs in her life is me." Mathias stated heavily as he finished cleaning the _nodachi_.

"I'm beginning to see that." Eishun hissed. "All right, I'll take care of Setsuna. But I will make one stipulation." He demanded.

"Okay." Mathias said.

"If you leave her here, you can never again be a part of her life."

Mathias stared at the Head Elder levelly. "Think it over carefully Mathias." Eishun demanded, "Are you willing to throw her away just like that, for this quest of vengeance."

Mathias shook his head, "No Eishun, I'll agree to never see her again so long as you promise me that she'll grow up protected and happy."

That was not the answer that the other man was looking for. "You're still attempting to cop out of your responsibility."

"Think of it as you will." Mathias said as he sheathed the _nodachi_, "After all, we've never been able to see eye-to-eye about anything, why start now." He handed the weapon over to him. "I believe this was yours." He said coldly.

"You're really going to do this?" Eishun demanded.

"I made the decision the moment I erased Setsuna's memories." Mathias said indifferently.

Konoe Eishun took the offered sword and shook his head incredulously, "You truly are a bastard." He said and left.

A week after that terrible night, Mathias found himself leaving the Kansai Association, with Nagi walking in step with him.

Despite everything that had transpired, Nagi has still attempted to reconcile the two over the spat regarding Setsuna. While Nagi agreed with Eishun about Mathias's responsibility to Setsuna, Nagi could not fault the concern that the demon had about the girl's well being. To be honest, Setsuna would be treated better here at the Kansai Association than she would in Mathias's care, especially if all of the Kyoto Crow People were now gunning for him. It seemed like pretty straightforward logic that the best protection was to keep the girl in the one place demons feared to tread.

Although, at the same time, Nagi had been rather pointed about stating that Mathias too could stay at the Kansai Association and raise Setsuna, something that Mathias was not about to do. It was a point of contention that the demon refused to relent over. In his mind, he was going to find Mishima and kill him, and if he had to discard Setsuna in the process then so be it.

In one night, the man that Nagi has seen Mathias grow into had now completely reverted back into the demon that he had first battled during the Recapture of the Great Bridge so many years ago.

"I still think you should reconsider." Nagi tried one more time to persuade the demon to step back from the precipice that he now hovered over.

"I wish I could, Nagi." Mathias said as they walked towards the entrance to the headquarters. "Eishun and you may think that I'm doing this for selfish reasons, but the truth be told, this has as much to do with my promise to the Princess as to anything else."

"Really?" Nagi asked, his mind returning to thoughts of Princess Asuna.

"'How do you see the world?'" He asked, reciting the question that the Princess had asked him on that fateful day. "'Do you see it for what it is, or what it can become?'" He paused and stared at Nagi, "should we just accept this world that has such evil that would murder a three-year-old girl just because of who she is? Or should we attempt to change that world by ridding ourselves of the evil that allows such things to happen?"

Nagi nodded, "How about you help create that world by being with the girl who survived that tragedy and make certain that she grows in a world where she is loved?"

"I've done all that I can for Setsuna." Mathias said bitterly, "Now I'm going after that evil."

Nagi wasn't convinced, and he sighed as he realized that in his last moment he was unable to convince his old friend about what he was about to commit to himself. "You're really going to abandon Setsuna, never see her again?" He asked.

"If there is one thing that I've learned Nagi, it's that the road to Hell is paved with good intentions."

"Then why don't you try stepping back and looking at what you're going to do to that girl by abandoning her?"

Mathias sighed, "Because Nagi, the people who become close to me don't exactly have happy endings." He admitted finally, "You just saw what happened to Sasonosuke and his family because I interfered. If I stay here with Setsuna, the same will eventually happen to her." He offered a sad smile, "That's a part of my pact after all. I am an instrument of death; that is the price of my immortality." '"'

Nagi was floored by that statement.

Mathias nodded somberly, "You take care Nagi. I hope that I'll see you again." With that he entered the courtyard before the main entrance.

"Stop the ball!" A young voice cried out, and Mathias looked over to see a small red ball rolling towards him. He knelt down and scooped it up, and looking over to see two young girls racing after it.

"Thank you very much." The girl that Mathias immediately recognized as Konoe Konoka beamed happily.

"I'm really sorry about letting it slip past me, Ojou-sama," The girl behind her apologized.

Konoka smirked at the other girl as she recovered the ball. "You don't have to apologize Setchan, it's not that big a deal. See we have the ball back."

Mathias looked at the other girl in surprise. Her hair was black, and her eyes were now brown but it really was Setsuna, he quickly realized, and offered a smile to the girl. Eishun was cleverer than he gave the young man credit for.

"Thank you very much for recovering the ball." She said bowing very deeply.

All Mathias could do was offer a smile to the young girl. "It's not a problem at all Setsuna. Just play and have fun." He said, and soon enough the two girls were once again playing with the ball.

Mathias walked towards the entrance; He paused momentarily as Eishun stood there, glaring at him.

"You still have a choice." The man said.

Mathias looked over to where the two girls were playing, then nodded, "Thank you, Eishun-dono. I will never forget this."

"Neither will I," Eishun said coldly as Mathias the _Ala Ferrum_ left the Kansai Association.


End file.
